Through the Sands of Time
by Peacenikky
Summary: Sequel to Ski Trip Menace. The gang have arrived in Ancient Egypt to learn of Bakura's past, but first Ryou wants to find out what happened in Trunks' future... CURRENTLY ON HIATUS!
1. PrologueNightmare Returns

Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Hey, y'all! Here's the sequel I promised ya!  
  
Judi: Yep! It includes several things that you asked for, including some things that came from ideas from Peacenikky's friends!  
  
Leanna: Sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy!  
  
Peacenikky: Um, I don't think popcorn's necessary, but please enjoy the fic!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Dragonball Z. All I own is Rebecca, Cye, and the freaky priest guy who'll make a bigger appearance later in the fic. That should do it for now...  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
The temple was dank and dark. Ryou shivered, but not from the cold. Something about the very atmosphere of the place chilled the teen to the bone. Most of the adjoining rooms were empty, save for some Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and artifacts, but one of the rooms made Ryou backtrack to take a second look.  
  
Several robed men stood around the room, chanting under their breaths. A well-dressed priest stood at the front of an altar, laughing maniacally as three boys dangled over a pit of boiling oil. A lens focused a shaft of light on the rope suspending them, slowly burning through it. Shocking as the scene was, the biggest surprise of all was the sacrificial victims themselves. Though two of them had their faces hidden in shadow, the third's face could be clearly seen. It was none other than Bakura!  
  
Ryou's gasp of shock and horror turned to one of fear as the priest turned his gaze toward the teen. He tried to run for help, but his feet were rooted to the spot. The priest lifted his hand and uttered one word.  
  
"You!"  
  
Ryou sat blot upright in a cold sweat. It had all been a dream. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself as his head hit the pillow again.  
  
"It was a dream... It was only a nightmare, that's all. It seemed so real, though. And why was Bakura hanging over that pit? It doesn't make any sense." he told himself as he leaned over and picked up the Millennium Ring from his nightstand. It had been about two months since the incident at the ski lodge that resulted in Bakura's banishment to the Shadow Realm. Gohan and his friends and met Yugi, Ryou, and the others at a school exhibition fencing tournament, and they had all chatted countless times over the Internet. Things seemed to be getting back to a semi-normal life for Ryou, even though his father was still absent most of the time on archaeological digs, like he was that night.  
  
Ryou sighed as he turned the Ring over in his hand a few times. It was nice not having to deal with Bakura's abuse, that was certain, but Ryou felt almost empty inside, like a part of him was missing. 'A part of me IS missing." he thought, 'My darkest part. I feel... I feel... I feel lonely without Bakura around.' Suddenly, the Ring's cold surface turned warm and began to float out of Ryou's hand. There was an intense flash of light, which died down as the occupant of the artifact appeared. Ryou scooted back in fear until he bumped into the headboard. It couldn't be... Bakura had been sealed away... He couldn't have possibly returned... Ryou could only whisper one word "No..." Bakura smirked as he reached over and grabbed Ryou by the pajama collar  
  
"Guess what, Ryou? I'm baa-ack..." A second cry of "NO!!!" rang unheard through the house.  
  
Meanwhile, in Hercule City, Rebecca woke up with a gasp. She quickly looked around her room before sighing, getting up, and walking to the window. As she looked out at the city below her apartment, she began to talk to herself.  
  
"What was that? I could have sworn I felt some sort of disturbance... A cry of pain and fear... And a bad feeling deep in my heart... What's going on?"  
  
"You woke up, and you woke me up, that's what. Do you have any idea what time it is?" asked a voice from another room that was slurred with sleep.  
  
"Oops. Sorry, Cye. Didn't mean to wake you, too. But didn't you feel that?"  
  
"Feel what? Rebecca, go back to sleep. You've got school in the morning."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Sleep. Now. Good night." Rebecca sighed and looked back out the window.  
  
'Maybe Cye's right. Maybe I'm just stressed over my history test tomorrow.' Rebecca shrugged as she walked back to her bed and crawled under the covers. 'I hope that's all it is...'  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Don't worry! I'm going to post the next chapter in a few weeks or so at the most! I just wanted to get this out before my deadline! You see, school's taking up a lot more time than I expected, but I assure you that I WILL update ASAP! Thanks for bearing with us!  
  
Judi: Remember, if you flame us, we'll assume you're on fire and we'll act accordingly.  
  
Peacenikky: Not this again...  
  
Rebecca: We'll be seeing ya!  
  
Peacenikky: Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies, y'all! Bye! 


	2. Reunion

Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Hey, y'all! I'm back, and with a longer chapter!  
  
Judi: Yes, the evils of school shall never conquer us! Mwahahaha!  
  
Peacenikky: Okay, someone's had a little too much sugar this afternoon...  
  
Leanna: Well anyway, we've finally got the chapter up. We hope you like it!  
  
YamiBakuraChan- Thanks for the complement! Don't worry, things'll start picking up soon!  
  
Silver Angel- Your wish has been granted!  
  
Orenji-Chan- Well, I'll try to squeeze in some more time for fic-writing!  
  
Europa- Your teacher lets you read fics in computer class!? No fair! (lol)  
  
Alaena- Don't worry, Bakura's gonna get a little attitude adjustment sometime soon... Hmm, an R/B pairing... what do the rest of you guys think?  
  
Fang Lirui- Hehe... Let's just say Bakura's also gonna get his just desserts in the not-too-distant-future...  
  
Rebecca: Let's start the show!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dragonball Z, or any of the songs or movies mentioned in this chapter. All I own are Rebecca and Cye. (sob, sob!)  
  
Chapter Two  
  
One month later...  
  
"...Every one of them was a Henry, never a Willy or Sam. I'm the eighth old man named Henry, Henry the Eighth I am, I am! Third verse, same as the first! I'm Henry the Eighth I am, Henry the Eighth I am, I got married to the widow next door; she's been..."  
  
"JOEY!" yelled the other five occupants of the car. Joey had taken to singing "Henry the Eighth I Am" in an outrageously bad Cockney accent a while ago, and it was going to cause chaos in a moment. Even Yami, who would be resting in the Millennium Puzzle for most of the trip, threatened to come out.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I still don't know why I agreed to take you along with me, so you'd better shut that mouth of yours before you end up walking the rest of the way to Hercule City." Kaiba said as he changed lanes.  
  
"And your so-called 'accent' is a personal insult!" Ryou chipped in.  
  
"Aw, come on!"  
  
"Thanks again for bringing us with you, Kaiba! It'll be great seeing the others again!" Tea said as she looked up from the road map spread across her lap.  
  
"Yeah, well the only reason I'm coming out here is to work out a business deal with Capsule Corp's president. So that means you'd better not expect me to come along with you clowns."  
  
"You're sure you won't be able to? It wouldn't be the same without the whole gang along." Yugi asked.  
  
"You're right, Yuge. It wouldn't be the same. It'd be a whole lot better without him along!" Joey said.  
  
"I'm warning you, Joey..." Kaiba said menacingly.  
  
"Besides, it's not like everyone will be there. Both Sharpner and Erasa said they wouldn't be able to come, didn't they?" Ryou asked. Tristan groaned.  
  
"Please Ryou, don't remind me. I'll bet they're going out on a date or something!"  
  
"Ooh, sounds like someone's jealous..." Joey laughed.  
  
"Knock it off!"  
  
"Come on you guys! Can't you two stop fighting for one car ride?" Yugi pleaded.  
  
"Not likely!" Tea laughed. "Okay, I think you're supposed to go left at this next intersection..."  
  
"I know what I'm doing, Tea. I don't need your advice."  
  
"If you say so, Kaiba."  
  
An hour and a half later, the small limo pulled up in front of the Hercule City Conference Center. Gohan waved and ran over as the teens got out.  
  
"Hey, what took you guys so long? Didn't you say you'd be here an hour ago?"  
  
"Blame Kaiba. His 'superior' navigational skills had us taking the scenic route." Joey said as he stretched his arms.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You heard me, tough guy!"  
  
"Why I oughta..."  
  
"They're here? Finally!" A woman wearing a dress suit with shoulder-length cerulean hair ran out of the building, looking around. Kaiba cleared his throat and stepped up, offering his hand.  
  
"Ms. Bulma Briefs, I presume." Bulma looked up and arched an eyebrow.  
  
"You can't be Seto Kaiba! You look like you're in high school!"  
  
"From what I understand, you were quite the electronics prodigy when you were my age as well, ma'am, so I suggest you change your attitude before I leave." Bulma smirked in response.  
  
"You've certainly got an attitude yourself. I remember having the same stubbornness at your age."  
  
"She still does." Gohan muttered in Yugi's ear. Bulma shot a glare at the teen before continuing.  
  
"I have a feeling we'll get along quite well, Mr. Kaiba." Bulma said while shaking his hand. "Why don't you guys all come inside for some refreshments before we get to business."  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Joey exclaimed enthusiastically, causing the others to laugh.  
  
Inside, Videl and Rebecca were taking turns throwing darts at a picture of a young man with short black hair and a scar on his cheek. Bulma cleared her throat and the girls spun around, blushing slightly.  
  
"Well, I see you've found my personal dartboard. So, did either of you manage to hit him in the eye?"  
  
"No, ma'am. We came pretty close, though." Rebecca said with a sheepish grin. "Oh, he guys! It's great to see you again!"  
  
"What took you so long?" Videl asked, setting down the dart she had been holding.  
  
"My chauffeur was out sick, so I had to drive." Kaiba said coolly. Joey snickered.  
  
"Yeah, and he got us lost."  
  
"Watch it!"  
  
"Hey ma'am, who's this a picture of? Is he your ex or something?" Tea asked.  
  
"You got it."  
  
"You're kidding! That's Yamcha? I'd never recognize him!" Gohan exclaimed.  
  
"Yep. That picture was taken a few years before any of you were born. So, who's up for some lemonade or-what the?" Sounds of fighting were coming closer and closer. A few seconds later, two small boys burst into the room, aiming kicks and punches at each other. Bulma narrowed her eyes and set her hands on her hips.  
  
"Trunks! Goten! What are you two doing here?" A boy with wild black hair grinned and ducked from a jab sent from a boy with straight lavender hair.  
  
"Hey Ms. Bulma! Hey Gohan!"  
  
"Goten, I thought you were spending the day playing with Trunks at his house! I don't exactly have time for this right now!" Gohan said as he pulled the two apart.  
  
"WOMAN!!!" an angry voice yelled from down the hall. A moment later, a somewhat short, well-muscled man with black hair swept up and away from his face stormed into the room. He scowled as he looked at Bulma. "Do you have any idea how long it took for me to track down your energy signature? What were you thinking, leaving me to take care of those two brats?"  
  
"Oh boy, here we go again..." Rebecca muttered under her breath. Videl sighed and sat down, knowing this would probably take a while. Gohan shook his head while Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Ryou all stood wide-eyed. Kaiba merely rolled his eyes. Bulma took a deep breath and began to yell back at the man.  
  
"Well Vegeta, I have a very important business deal to work out today. My father is out golfing, and Mom's gone shopping. So that leaves you to watch the boys for the day!" Bulma retorted.  
  
"Woman, I have plans to spend the day training in the Gravity Chamber! I cannot waste my time babysitting my son and Kakarott's brat!" Yugi and his friends looked at Goten and Trunks, who were quietly tossing darts at the picture of Yamcha.  
  
"Gohan, does this sort of thing happen often?" Yugi whispered.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Excuse me, but I don't exactly have all day here. How long is this little tirade of yours going to last?" Kaiba asked boredly.  
  
"Stay out of this!"  
  
"Vegeta, that's the guy I'm supposed to be negotiating with, so will you please swallow that blasted pride of yours and accept the basic duties of fatherhood?" Bulma asked. Meanwhile, Tristan had been making hand puppets mimic each round of arguing. Gohan quickly nudged him in the side before Vegeta could notice and blast him into the Next Dimension. Bulma threw her hands in the air in annoyance. "There's got to be some way we can settle this!"  
  
"And how do you suppose we do that?"  
  
"Don't even think about trying to rope us into babysitting! We're gonna be busy today!" Joey said. Tea narrowed her eyes and smacked him in the back of the head.  
  
"Well, um, this is my brother, Goten, and this is Trunks." Gohan said in an attempt to kill time.  
  
Hi, I'm Tea."  
  
"Tristan's the name."  
  
"I'm Ryou."  
  
"Just call me Joey."  
  
"And I'm Yugi. It's nice to meet you!"  
  
"It's nice to meet you guys, too!" Goten said with a cheery voice.  
  
"Look, Goten and I are just gonna play in the woods by his house, all right?" Trunks said.  
  
"Well, okay. But be careful, you two!"  
  
"We will, we will. Bye Mom, bye Dad." Trunks said boredly as he walked out.  
  
"I'll see you at dinner, Gohan!" Goten said as he followed.  
  
"Wait, how are they going to get to Gohan's house? That's really far away, isn't it?" Tea asked. Bulma coughed for a moment.  
  
"Well, um, Vegeta's going to drive them there, aren't you, dear?" she said as she pushed Vegeta toward the door.  
  
"No, I'm not!" Bulma laughed nervously.  
  
"Gee, what a kidder, huh? Well, I'll see you later, Vegeta!" By now, Bulma had pushed Vegeta out of the room and had shut the door. She took a deep breath before regaining her professional composure. "So, who'd like some lemonade?"  
  
"I'd love to, but we'd better get going now." Gohan said. Videl and Rebecca also voiced their regrets.  
  
"Thanks anyway!" Yugi said as well.  
  
Once the group was outside, Gohan shrugged. "Don't mind Vegeta. He's a little, well..."  
  
"High-strung?" Tea put in.  
  
"Agitated?" Ryou added.  
  
"Bonkers?" Joey said.  
  
"Yep, that's about it!" The others laughed. "Well anyway, you guys ready to see the big city?"  
  
"You bet!" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
"Then let's go!" Gohan exclaimed.  
  
After spending a couple hours seeing the various sites of Hercule City, Gohan, Videl, and Rebecca stopped the others in front of a smallish building. The others looked on in shock as they realized what it was: a karaoke bar.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me..." Ryou muttered.  
  
"Nope!" Rebecca said with a wink.  
  
"You honestly don't expect us to sing like idiots in front of people, right?" Tristan asked.  
  
"No, trust us! This place is different. You go into a booth with a song list. You pick the songs you want to sing, punch in the code, then the computer gives you a score based on your performance afterward." Videl explained.  
  
"It's a great way to relieve stress, especially after a big test or something. You can even pay a little extra to get your songs burned onto a CD." Gohan added.  
  
"You're not suggesting..." Joey asked warily.  
  
"Oh, come on! We'll all sing something, so there's no possibility of blackmail, okay?" Rebecca said. "It'll be a hoot, I promise!" The others traded looks of doubt before agreeing.  
  
"Well, all right. It'll probably be good for a few laughs in the future, I guess..." Joey muttered as they walked in.  
  
"That's the spirit!" Gohan said as he brought up the rear.  
  
About fifty minutes or so later, the teens picked up their CDs. Each of them was laughing and insisting that his or her song was the worst, except for Joey, who was glaring at an all too innocent looking Tristan because their duet had mysteriously changed from "No Strings Attached" to "Who Let the Dogs Out?." Tea had done pretty well with her rendition of "Flashdance," and Gohan wasn't that bad with "Eye of the Tiger." Yugi had managed to convince Yami to come out of the Puzzle to help him sing An American Tail's "Somewhere Out There." Everyone agreed their combined voices were very impressive. But the song that was most questioned was Ryou's almost tear-jerking performance of "Cry." When asked about his choice, the white-haired boy simply shrugged and said he liked the song. Yami arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about it when Yugi asked him what was up.  
  
Soon after, the teens rested near a bus stop, chatting and catching up. Ryou quickly turned around and checked something behind his back.  
  
"Something wrong?" Videl asked.  
  
"Well, does anyone else have the feeling we're being followed?" Ryou asked nervously.  
  
"No... Man, you've got one active imagination, Ryou. I think you've been playing too many role playing games." Tristan said, shrugging.  
  
"Yeah, maybe that's it..." Gohan furrowed his brow for a moment. There was an oddly familiar energy signature in the area... Nah, it couldn't be. The half-saiyan got up from the bench he'd been sitting on.  
  
"Okay, so where do we go next?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Hey, why don't we crash at Rebecca's apartment for a while? We could relax and watch a video or something." Gohan suggested. Rebecca made a choking noise and jumped up.  
  
"No way! Uncle Cye and I are in the middle of some major spring cleaning, so the apartment's a complete mess! We are definitely not going there!" While she had been protesting, the bus arrived. Videl motioned for the others to follow her on. "Hey! Are you guys listening to me? Don't you dare get on that--hey, wait up!" The guardian angel just barely managed to get on the bus before the doors closed. As it sped off, a tall teenage boy stepped out from behind a building corner. He brushed a strand of lavender hair out of his ice blue eyes as he studied the receding bus.  
  
"That was him, all right. Now I just have to follow his energy trail and I'll be able to avenge what he did to Mother..."  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Okay, I know it's been a month, but school's taken up a lot more time than I thought it would!  
  
Judi: Yeah, and she won't let me write for her!  
  
Peacenikky: That's because you'd jump in, take over the plot, and torch Bakura!  
  
Judi: So?  
  
Leanna: Here we go again...  
  
Rebecca: Don't tell me we're going to have to deal with another battle between those nut jobs! We barely managed to hide the "new skylight" they put in during the last fight!  
  
Leanna: Well, while we work on getting these two to stop fighting and work on the next chapter, don't forget to review!  
  
Rebecca: Yeah, so peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies! Bye! 


	3. Attacks and Explanations

Author's Notes  
  
Judi: Hey, everyone! Sorry 'bout the wait.  
  
Peacenikky: Driver's Ed has been eating up all of my free time lately. But I'm finally done with it! Yay!  
  
Leanna: Anyway, we've finally managed to get the next chapter out.  
  
Rebecca: We're also going to answer your questions about the fic.  
  
Peacenikky: And don't worry, Rebecca will NOT fall in love with Ryou!  
  
Judi: Yeah, we're anti-Mary Sue, so let us know if you think anything suspicious is coming up, and we'll give Beck a once-over to make sure.  
  
Leanna: Okay, here are the shoutouts!  
  
YamiBakuraChan- We're working on it!  
  
Europa- Oh, so that's it... Yup, Mirai Trunks is here for revenge against someone...  
  
Silver Angel- You'll see soon enough, don't worry!  
  
Orenji-Chan- I just couldn't resist putting that one in there!  
  
Scythe- Not to worry! There's no way I'm going to make a Rebecca/anyone pairing! I've been toying with the idea of yami/hikari pairings for a while now... Okay, what do the rest of you guys think? I've got some ideas for how it'll work; just let me know if I should go through with this. However, there will be ABSOLUTELY NO LEMONS!!! I'm way too naïve to write one, and I don't like the idea of getting kicked off ff.net too much. Anyway, Yami went back into the Puzzle shortly after everyone picked up their CD's. Sorry about the confusion! And they'll learn about Bakura very shortly, don't worry!  
  
FireEye- I see. But, as I said, she's not getting paired up with anyone, at the very least. I'd rather not go into a debate on who's stronger, though. Let's just let everyone keep their own opinion about it. See above on where Yami went.  
  
Meku- I'll try my best to update ASAP!  
  
Peacenikky: Well, let's start the show!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Dragonball Z. All I own are Rebecca and Cye.  
  
Legend: /hikari to yami/  
  
//yami to hikari//  
  
"spoken"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
*** scene change  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
"Okay, I give up. We can stop here. But I'm warning you, it's a real battlefield, so I'm not responsible if anyone trips and breaks an ankle or something." Rebecca said cautiously as she turned the key to the apartment door and opened it a little. "Uncle Cye? I brought some friends over. Hope that's okay!" There was no response. "Uncle Cye? Hello?" Rebecca opened the door the rest of the way, exposing the mess within. Various cleaning paraphernalia was scattered around the floor, a couple of pillows were strewn about, and one of the doors leading off the entryway hall was sealed off with police line tape. Rebecca looked at it with a critical eye. "Jeez, my room's not THAT bad..."  
  
"Trust me, it is." Gohan said to Yugi and the others before nearly tripping over a throw pillow.  
  
"Wow, I feel so loved. Come on in." The others stepped inside, cautiously walking over the obstacles on the floor.  
  
"Hey, don't worry 'bout the mess, Beck. My room's way worse than this." Joey said as he dodged a handheld vacuum cleaner.  
  
"I can vouch for that." Tristan added.  
  
"Thanks, I guess." Rebecca said with a smile. "Uncle Cye, where the heck are you?"  
  
Tea, putting her years of ballet classes to use, pirouetted over to the kitchen, where she picked up a piece of paper. "Hey, look over here." Rebecca navigated her way through the mess and took the paper.  
  
"Rebecca, I've gone to get some groceries. Don't have any friends over; the apartment's messy enough already. I'll be back by 5:30. Love, Cye." Rebecca said, reading aloud from the note.  
  
"Oops, too late..." Gohan said with a small grin. "Okay, we won't trash the place. We won't even stay long. Cye won't have a clue we were here!"  
  
"No problem, it's not like I've never broken one of his rules before." Rebecca said, crumpling up the note and tossing it into a wastebasket. The others settled into seats on the sofa and chairs around the living room/kitchen area.  
  
"So, what next?" Yugi asked. Videl grinned a little before pulling out her CD.  
  
"I say we listen to our songs again! We could use a few laughs right about now!" Ryou blushed.  
  
"Let's not, and say we did!"  
  
"Let's do, and really be able to say we did, instead!" Videl countered. Joey shrugged.  
  
"I'm game."  
  
"Same here." Tea added. The others soon agreed.  
  
"Sorry, bud. Seven against one." Tristan said as he reached over and popped his CD into the small stereo set up on the floor. Just before the brunette managed to press 'play,' the doorbell rang.  
  
"Great, Cye must have forgotten his keys or something... Time to make up an excuse." Rebecca muttered as she got up and opened the door. "Hey Uncle Cye! Back so... soon..." Rebecca trailed off and turned pink. A boy in his teens with lavender hair and ice blue eyes stood at the door. "Oh, sorry! I was expecting someone else! Can I help you?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm looking for someone named Ryou Bakura. Is he somewhere nearby?"  
  
Ryou stood up. "That's me. Who are you?" Gohan sucked in his breath.  
  
'That voice... and that energy signature! Can it really be...' The boy's countenance immediately turned from pleasant to cold and determined.  
  
"My name is of no importance right now. All that matters is that I'm here to destroy you for what you did to my mother!" he said, drawing a sword from a case on his back and pointing it straight at Ryou.  
  
"What!?" Gohan jumped up to get a better look and gasped.  
  
"No way... Trunks, is that you?"  
  
"Hold up!" Joey said, getting up as well. "You're telling me this guy's that little pipsqueak we met back at the conference center!? That's impossible!"  
  
"My gosh... He looks just like the little-kid Trunks, all grown up!" Yugi said. The boy nodded.  
  
"Yes, I'm the future form of the boy you know as Trunks. It's great to see you again, Gohan, but right now, I've got something to take care of." Ryou took a step back.  
  
"Okay, this is getting a little too creepy..." he said nervously. Tea got up and stepped in front of him.  
  
"Listen, there's no way we're going to let you hurt our friend, okay? So take your little vendetta and go home!" she said angrily. Trunks didn't seem to notice as he shoved Rebecca out of the way, ran inside, and promptly tripped over the hand held vacuum. Ignoring the snickers coming from Joey, he got up, nimbly sidestepped Tea, and ended up directly in front of Ryou.  
  
"Good night." he said as he struck Ryou in the head with the broad side of his sword. Ryou uttered a small cry of pain before falling to the floor, unconscious.  
  
"Oh my lord..." Videl whispered. Trunks raised the sword and prepared to deal the fatal blow when Gohan's fighting instincts kicked in. He raced forward and quickly tackled Trunks to the ground. The sword clattered as it fell inches from Ryou's face.  
  
"Trunks, what has gotten into you?"  
  
"Gohan, let me go right now!" Trunks yelled as he wrestled to get out the other half-saiyan's grip. (AN: ACK! Not like that! Get your minds out of the gutter!)  
  
"Not until you explain what the heck you're doing here, and why you want to kill Ryou!"  
  
"You wouldn't understand!"  
  
"Oh, yeah? Try me!" The two continued to fight, not noticing the others were watching with mild horror, until Yugi gasped.  
  
"What the!?" Ryou's face was contorted in pain, with tears beginning to spill onto his cheeks. He cried out as his body jerked as if it were being struck several times. Bruises and cuts soon began to appear on his face and arms.  
  
"All right, what did you do to him?" Joey asked as he rolled up his sleeve. Gohan got up, keeping his hand around Trunks' wrist to keep him from trying to finish his attempt at murder.  
  
"I didn't do THIS! I certainly wasn't planning on getting my revenge this way, either!" Trunks said, defending himself.  
  
/Yami, what's happening here?/ Yugi asked his darker half.  
  
//I was afraid of this... There's only one explanation. Bakura's returned from the Shadow Realm!//  
  
/No! We've got to do something!/  
  
//As long as this is kept in Ryou's Soul Room, there's nothing we can do...// Yugi blinked, trying to keep from crying.  
  
Rebecca rubbed the Guardian Angel insignia on her ring as she realized what was going on. 'I never would have guessed... When I get my hands on that rotten excuse for a spirit, I'm going to crush him!'  
  
"Ryou, snap out of it! Come on, wake up! You're scaring us!" Yugi said as he gently shook the taller boy's shoulder. Videl pulled him back and shook her head. Within a few more minutes, Ryou's body relaxed somewhat. He gasped for breath as the others tried to figure out what brought that on.  
  
"It looks like it's over for now. I'm going to get the first-aid kit." Rebecca said as she made her way back into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a white box. Tea opened it, pulled out some bandages and antiseptic, and began to treat Ryou's wounds. Tristan turned to face Trunks.  
  
"Okay, I think you're way past due for an explanation, buster. Who are you, and what do you want?" No one seemed to notice the two adult men standing in the doorway, or when one of them raised his hand and whispered a few words. It was less difficult to notice Yugi's eyes widen, then fall shut as he collapsed and hit the floor. Rebecca looked up and opened her mouth to say something to one of the men when she fell and vanished.  
  
"What the heck just happened here?" Joey asked as he checked his best friend for a pulse. Gohan felt his center of gravity shift and stumbled as Trunks fell limp as well.  
  
"I can explain that." A voice said as the two men stepped into the apartment. Tea gasped.  
  
"And just who in the world are you?"  
  
***  
  
Ryou sat on the bed in his Soul Room, wincing with each small movement. Bakura had really seen red when he found out his hikari had been attacked and knocked out so easily, and used the chance to 'teach him a lesson.' He could vaguely sense the concern the others had for him outside, but there was nothing he could do at the moment to assuage their fears.  
  
Out of nowhere, two small, bright flashes of light appeared, along with two voices screaming. Ryou looked up in mild alarm as the owners of the voices appeared and were dumped on the floor of the room. Yugi groggily got up, rubbing his head.  
  
"Ow... Where am I?" he muttered as his eyes focused. He bit his lower lip as he saw Ryou. "Oh my gosh! Ryou, are you okay?" Ryou looked down, humiliated.  
  
"Well, I could be better..." he said quietly. Yugi walked over and gently placed an arm around his shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry. It's going to be all right." He said with a small, worried smile.  
  
"Ugh, stop the ride, I wanna get off..." the second voice said weakly as its owner stood up. Rebecca blinked a few times, not fully noticing the stunned looks on the two boy's faces. That quickly changed, however, when she saw the armor she was wearing. "Oh, great..." The angel looked up. "I don't suppose you'd think this was all... just a... dream..." She trailed off when she saw the state Ryou was in. "Oh my..."  
  
"Please, I'd rather not talk about it." Ryou said. "But would you care to explain the wings on your back?"  
  
Rebecca blushed and snapped her fingers, whispering the word "Mnemosyne." The two hikaris blinked a few times as Rebecca took off her helmet. "Okay, that should restore your full memories of that incident at the ski lodge." She said, running a hand through her bangs. "Now would you please explain how Bakura managed to get back from the Shadow Realm?"  
  
"What? How did you-?" Ryou began.  
  
"Yami and I could sense his presence, Ryou." Yugi said quietly. "How long has this been going on?" Ryou bit his lower lip and mumbled something.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, Bakura's been back for about a month now..." Ryou lowered his head. Yugi's eyes welled up with tears as he gently hugged his friend.  
  
"Oh Ryou... Why didn't you say something? We didn't know..."  
  
"I didn't want anyone else to get hurt... I thought I could take it on my own..." Rebecca's eyes hardened.  
  
"That does it. He's going down..." she said under her breath as she put her helmet back on and strode over to the door. She grabbed the handle and tugged on it hard, but it didn't budge. "Hey!"  
  
"The door's locked. He didn't want me to get out... Bakura'll be back soon. You guys had better get out of here." Ryou said.  
  
"We don't even know how we got here in the first place." Yugi said. "Besides, we can't leave you here alone! We've got to stop him somehow!"  
  
Rebecca leaned against the door and clucked her tongue. "Ryou, you said Bakura'd be returning here soon, right? Well, he probably never expected a ticked off angel waiting for him. I'll just sit tight and wait for him to show up, then BAM!" She ran her fist into her open hand. "He'll never know what hit him." She smirked as she walked back toward the other two and crossed her arms, waiting.  
  
"Wait a second... Do you hear that?" Yugi asked, tilting his head.  
  
"It sounds like there's a fight nearby... I think it's been going on for a while." Ryou said. Soon after he said that, there was silence, which was soon replaced by approaching footsteps. Rebecca stepped into a fighting stance as the door handle turned.  
  
"YAHHH! Take that!" she shouted as the door opened, a small fireball appearing in her hand. She didn't make it five steps when a blast of violet energy hit her and sent her crashing into the wall. "Ow..."  
  
"Um, Rebecca? Wrong yami." Ryou said as she shakily got up. Yami stood in the doorway, a little surprised.  
  
"Yugi? What in the Underworld are you doing here?" the spirit asked as he entered the room.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing." The pure-hearted duelist replied.  
  
"Ahem." Trunks stepped in, holding up Bakura's unconscious form. "Where do you want this?" he asked as he looked around the room. "And what are you?" he asked, pointing to Rebecca. She rolled her eyes as she fully stood up.  
  
"I'm a guardian angel. I'm not going to go into details at the moment, so don't ask any questions."  
  
"What makes you think I was going to ask any?  
  
"Anyway, Ryou, it would appear I had mistaken you for this guy. I apologize for my actions. I take it he's the one who did that to you?" Trunks asked. Ryou nodded. "I see. Then I have twice the reason to destroy him."  
  
"Wait!" Ryou cried, causing everyone to focus his or her attention on the white-haired boy. "You can't just do that to him!"  
  
"No offense Ryou, but did Bakura hit you in the head one too many times or something?" Rebecca asked, confused.  
  
"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but..."  
  
"I think it's time for everyone to return the realm of the living now." A voice with an Egyptian accent said. Everyone looked around.  
  
"Shaddi?" Yugi whispered. The next moment, there was a brilliant flash of light.  
  
***  
  
Soon after that, Ryou's eyes fluttered open. He rubbed the side of his head gingerly as he slowly got up.  
  
"Hey, the turban dude was right! You're waking up!" Tristan exclaimed. Yugi and Trunks also woke up and got to their feet. Rebecca materialized shortly after, along with Yami and the unconscious Bakura.  
  
"Was knocking him out really necessary?" the voice from before asked. "And I don't appreciate the term 'turban dude' very much." The voice's owner, Shaddi, picked up Bakura's body with relative ease and glared at Tristan.  
  
"Yeesh. Sorry." The brunette muttered.  
  
"I believe you have some explaining to do, Missy." the second voice said. Rebecca gulped and looked up.  
  
"Cye, relax, okay? I didn't see your note until after the guys came over!" The others sweatdropped.  
  
"I'm referring to the little incident with Trunks that happened here not fifteen minutes ago! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" This voice's owner was a trim man in his mid-thirties and of average height. He, like Rebecca, was dressed in a robe and armor, and had a pair of longer wings coming from his back. He held his helmet under one arm as he brushed a clump of his dark green hair out of his lighter green eyes.  
  
"Oh yeah, like I could do anything without blowing my secret!"  
  
"The bylaws of the Order of Guardian Angels clearly state that--"  
  
"Ugh! Bylaws this, codes that! When will you learn to go with the flow?"  
  
"I will not tolerate that disrespectful tone of voice, young lady! It took a lot of energy restoring the memories of your friends when I showed up, and I am not in the mood for this!"  
  
"Excuse me, but will you two please tone it down? We're trying to deal with the fact that there are two angels, the guardian of the Millennium Items, an unconscious jerk, a beaten up friend, and some kid from the future in here, and we don't need an argument from the both of you to make things worse!" Yami stated, trying not to lose his temper.  
  
"Ryou, how long has it been since Bakura last returned to you?" Shaddi asked, changing the course of the conversation.  
  
"Well, I'd say about a month now."  
  
"I see. I thought I sensed a disturbance in the Shadow Realm around that time."  
  
"Hold on, let me get this straight." Videl said. "That lunatic who sent us to that Shadow Realm place back at the ski lodge is back, and he's been beating up Ryou?"  
  
"Well um, that's about right." Ryou said.  
  
"Okay, you'd better wake him up, 'cause I'm gonna take him out!" she said, clenching her fist.  
  
"That may not be the best idea, Miss." Shaddi said calmly.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Because I know this is going to sound bizarre, but I don't want you to hurt Bakura." Ryou said. Joey walked over and placed a hand on Ryou's forehead.  
  
"Hmm... You ain't running a fever..." There was a knock at the door. Cye walked over, checked the peephole, then opened the door.  
  
"Dude, are you nuts? What are you-oh jeez, what now?" Joey muttered as he saw the two at the door. A tiny, wrinkled old woman in witch's robes sitting on a floating crystal ball and a tall man with lavender skin and long white hair were waiting in the doorway.  
  
"Surprise!" The old woman said as she floated inside. Rebecca stepped back nervously.  
  
"Cye, don't tell me you filed a report about this!" she muttered under her breath.  
  
"Baba, Supreme Kai, what are you guys doing here?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Well, let's see, considering that there's been an attack and a lot of strange energy coming from Rebecca's residence, I had a feeling I'd better step in." Supreme Kai said. Rebecca groaned and slapped her forehead.  
  
"Why doesn't anyone trust me?"  
  
"Okay, who are THESE two?" Tea asked, exasperated.  
  
"Well, this is Baba, the fortuneteller," Gohan began, indicating the old woman, "and this is Shin, also known as the Supreme Kai." he finished, pointing to the man.  
  
"I remember Mother mentioning something about a crabby old psychic, but I don't recall anything about a man named Shin..." Trunks said to himself. Baba turned red and quickly floated over to him.  
  
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING CRABBY?" she screamed, causing the half-saiyan to step back in alarm.  
  
"Supreme Kai's also the head of the Order of Guardian Angels." Cye put in. The taller man blushed a little.  
  
"Well actually, it was Kibito's job, but when he and I fused, I took on the task."  
  
"Fused?" Yami asked, fingering his deck.  
  
"It's a long story." Gohan said.  
  
"Wait a second. Why are the four of you here in the first place? I still don't understand." Yugi said.  
  
"I'll try to explain. I sensed Bakura returning from the Shadow Realm about one month ago. Earlier today, I also sensed his spirit full of malice. When I realized it was coming from here, I thought he might cause mayhem in the city." Shaddi said, shifting the unconscious yami a little.  
  
"That's when he ran into me when I was on my way back from the supermarket and asked for my help." Cye added.  
  
"Okay, and what about those two?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Well, I'm a fortuneteller and a psychic. I usually know when things are about to happen," Baba began. "However, the arrival of Trunks was completely unforeseen. There doesn't seem to be a reason for him being here."  
  
"I consider avenging the crime against my mother a good reason." Trunks retorted. Baba ignored him.  
  
"So naturally, I decided to come and see what the fuss was all about."  
  
"And I like to keep an eye on the deployed angels, especially the ones who tend to get into trouble..." Shin said with a pointed look at Rebecca.  
  
"I still think some of those rules are ridiculous." She said.  
  
"Watch it." Cye said warningly.  
  
"Anyway, when things started to get out of control, I figured it'd be a good time to step in."  
  
"But we're getting off the subject." Shaddi said.  
  
"Question. We've tried to get rid of Bakura practically a hundred times, and the guy still keeps coming back from the Shadow Realm! What's up with that?" Joey asked.  
  
"Simple. Ryou and Bakura are bound as hikari and yami. They are destined to be together, and you can't fight that kind of destiny."  
  
"What!? You mean Ryou's stuck with him forever!? That's just not fair!" Tea said, outraged.  
  
"That's the way it is...  
  
"Anyway, there's one last reason we were assembled here. Everyone, what is your opinion on Bakura?" Shaddi asked.  
  
"Duh. He's an abusive, homicidal creep who needs to be taken out." Rebecca said with a glare.  
  
"I have to agree. He's bad news." Videl said.  
  
"He's a fiend who needs to be taught a lesson." Yami said.  
  
"He needs to be destroyed." Trunks said.  
  
"Does everyone else agree?" Shaddi asked. All the other teens in the room nodded except for Ryou. "You seem to think differently. What do you think?" Ryou looked down at the ground for a moment before speaking.  
  
"Well, I know this sounds insane, but somehow, I can't shake the feeling that deep down, there's some good inside of Bakura."  
  
"You're joking!" Trunks said. Shaddi smiled a little.  
  
"I see. Well everyone, there's something you need to know. Before you pass judgment on Bakura, you must first learn why he is the way he is." The Egyptian lowered Bakura to the ground before pulling something out of his robe pocket. Trunk's eyes widened.  
  
"It can't be..." he whispered.  
  
"Yes, it is. I have borrowed the Millennium Necklace in order to send you back to the past. That is, if I can receive some help..." The other adults smiled knowingly and offered a small ball of energy each, which disappeared into the Necklace.  
  
"This is getting way too weird..." Gohan said as the artifact began to glow. A portal opened up behind the group.  
  
"What's that?" Videl asked.  
  
"That happens to be your method of transportation. Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride..." Baba said with a grin. Within moments, the portal opened wider and began to suck the teens in.  
  
"This is not goo-yiiikes!" Joey said before getting pulled in. The others followed suit. After Tristan was sucked in and the room was empty save for the adults and Bakura, the portal vanished.  
  
"Thank you all for helping me." Shaddi said as he slipped the Millennium Item back into his pocket and picked up Bakura.  
  
"I feel kind of bad, though. You think we should have given them a little more warning?" Shin asked, concerned.  
  
"Nah, they're young. They'll live." Baba said.  
  
"Let's go. They'll be waiting for us shortly." Shaddi said. Baba nodded and chanted a spell as the five vanished from the room.  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Whew! I'm so sorry about the wait!  
  
Judi: Yahoo! It's Spring Break! Party!  
  
Peacenikky: Great... Total chaos...  
  
Rebecca: Yeah! (blows a party horn)  
  
Leanna: Well, once again, let us know if we should put any yami/hikari pairings in here.  
  
Peacenikky: But NO LEMONS!  
  
Judi: Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies, y'all! Bye for now! 


	4. Apologies, a Challenge, and a Trailer!

Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Hey everyone! I'm sorry to say that the next chapter will take some time to write, especially since my floppy disk decided to delete over 2/3 of my files...  
  
Judi: We have written a Shaman King fic to compensate, but it's probably not that good.  
  
Leanna: So, until Rebecca and I can motivate these two to do some serious reconstruction, you'll just have to wait.  
  
Judi: To keep your minds off your frustration, we have a challenge for you! Read it and try to come up with something! We'll be watching!  
  
Peacenikky: I also put in a trailer for upcoming scenes for the fic, so let me know what you think of it!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Yu-Gi-Oh! All I own is this challenge, Rebecca, Cye, and Nebka. I'm not making any claim on ownership of any fics created because of the challenge, either. ...Jeez, that was boring...  
  
CHALLENGE  
  
Halloween is a night of mystery and mayhem, where the supernatural is rumored to roam about for one night. When Yugi and the gang go to the Fall Festival on Halloween, they're going to learn more than they ever wanted to know about the unleashed spirits of that night.  
  
Here's the deal. The fic can be any genre you want it to be. It should be two or more chapters long, if possible. And keep it clean-nothing too gory or R-rated! You must include: a cursed/haunted House of Mirrors, a character complaining that no one listened when he/she suggested the group avoid said House of Mirrors, a couple of irritating ghosts of past sideshow freaks, and an eccentric ticket-taker.  
  
Please e-mail us at barbieev@aol.com (no making fun of the name, or Judi's putting you on her list of people to barbeque!) and put "Fanfic Challenge" in your subject line. Include the title, genre, and your penname in the message. Authors who do so will be mentioned and acclaimed in the Author's Notes of upcoming chapters, and, well, that's about it. (Nervous chuckle)  
  
Peacenikky: And now, the trailer!  
  
Fade in on a desert oasis near and Egyptian city. A slight breeze blows before a swirling vortex opens up and spits Yugi, Gohan, Trunks, and the others onto the sand.  
  
Joey: Ugh... I think I lost my lunch back in the 1700's...  
  
Yugi: Where are we?  
  
Yami: Ancient Egypt...  
  
Narrator: The sands of time have shifted, and the past is being replayed.  
  
Shaddi: You will assume the guise of nomads until you find the truth behind Bakura's past.  
  
Narrator: Secrets are revealed...  
  
Camera cuts to the oasis at night. Ryou, Trunks, and Rebecca are sitting around a campfire.  
  
Ryou: Trunks, what did Bakura do to your mother?  
  
Camera switches to a court priest holding a scroll and grinning demonically.  
  
Tea, V.O.: Who is that guy?  
  
Camera then cuts to Bakura standing in a grassy field on another world. He stares into a crystal ball and scowls.  
  
Bakura: Nebka...  
  
Narrator: But when you shift sand, it never falls back in quite the same way, and that can cause problems...  
  
Camera pans to the field from before. Shin is pacing back and forth, agitated.  
  
Shin: This was not supposed to happen! Now what are we going to do?  
  
Camera switches to Yugi and Ryou, both wounded, chained up in a dungeon. Nebka stands over them, glaring.  
  
Nebka: I'll get my answers from you soon enough...  
  
Camera cuts to Sendji being tugged into an alley by Joey. Gohan is with him  
  
Gohan: We need your help.  
  
Close up of the Ninja Queen and Cyber Commander attacking from a rooftop.  
  
Camera moves on to see Tristan, Rebecca, Gohan, Videl, and Joey running from a woman brandishing a dagger, then to the whole group staring down a group of palace guards.  
  
Guard: You're coming with us.  
  
Camera cuts to the group in a room in the palace. Their hoods and turbans have been knocked off.  
  
Ryou: Not good...  
  
Pharaoh Yami: Seize them!  
  
Shot of Gohan, Videl, and Yami crouched by an open doorway. Gohan holds a small electronic device in his hand. A shadow falls over the teens as Videl slowly turns around.  
  
Videl: Um, guys?  
  
Narrator: Now showing on Fanfiction.net, the sequel to "Ski Trip Menace"...  
  
Camera cuts to Rebecca sitting at the oasis. She rolls her eyes and gets up slowly.  
  
Rebecca: We're gonna regret this...  
  
"Through the Sands of Time"  
  
Peacenikky: Well, that's the challenge and the trailer! So get cracking and let us know what you've written! Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies, y'all! Bye! (goes off to try to figure out a way to strangle a floppy disk) 


	5. The Past is Present Again

Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Well, after dealing with our evil floppy disk and its rebellious ways...  
  
Judi: We've finally rewritten this chapter and fixed everything up!  
  
Leanna: Yeah, over nine pages worth, plus the stuff that came after it!  
  
Peacenikky: As you can bet, this did take A LOT of typing, so we're sorry about the wait!  
  
Rebecca: But we're back! WHEE! (Jumps around, squealing)  
  
Peacenikky: Okay, how did Beck get so darn hyper?  
  
Leanna: Judi, you spiked her soda with a dose of Surge, didn't you?  
  
Judi: So?  
  
Peacenikky: *Groan* Anyway, at last count, the vote on yami/hikari pairings was four to two in favor of the pairings! It'll only be some mild cuddling, though!  
  
Judi: And now, on with the fic!  
  
azn_blue_dragon Thanks for the complement! Sorry, but the pairings go. It'll be extremely mild, though!  
  
SC- Your wish has been granted!  
  
Fang Lirui- Sorry about the confusion there. And I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry about taking forever to update once again!  
  
Nix Entente- Thanks for the constructive criticism. I'm trying to tweak Rebecca's character a little, so let me know if this works better. And I hope this changes your opinion!  
  
A Watcher- lol, yep, and here's the next chapter!  
  
Silver Angel7- Thanks for reviewing! I'm sorry for taking so bleeping long with this chapter.  
  
Jase Shadowstar- Not to worry, there's no way I'm writing anything near a lemon or lime, so read easy!  
  
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- Thanks for the review!  
  
Mira-hime- I'm sorry for making you wait! Blame my computer!  
  
Seiryuu_Blue*Dragon- Yep, I'll continue. However, please don't let the yami/hikari pairings scare you off! And thank you for the complement!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Come on, do you guys seriously expect me to own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Dragonball Z? All I own are Rebecca and Cye.  
  
Legend  
  
/Hikari to yami/  
  
//Yami to hikari//  
  
"Spoken"  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
*** Scene Change/Time Passage  
  
The portal that had swept the teens away reappeared a few feet above a sand dune. A hole in the center opened and dumped the group out before vanishing into thin air.  
  
"Ugh. I think I lost my lunch back in the 1700's." Joey muttered.  
  
"Ow! Tristan, get off my arm!" Videl complained.  
  
"Sorry." he said as he shifted a little.  
  
"Now you're on my leg!" Yugi cried. There was a lot more complaining and yelling at certain people to get off of certain body parts as the teens struggled to disentangle themselves. After a few minutes, the task was accomplished, and except for a few minor bumps and bruises, no one had any injuries that weren't there before.  
  
"Okay, so where are we, anyway?" Yugi asked. Yami got up and quietly gasped as he looked at the view, which included a large city nearby.  
  
"I don't believe this. We're in Egypt, Ancient Egypt, based on what Shaddi said."  
  
"Gee, you're a bright one, aren't ya?" Baba commented as she, Shaddi, Cye, and Shin appeared out of a second vortex.  
  
"Okay, what's the big idea?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah, why'd you pull us out here?" Gohan added.  
  
"I already told you. You're here to find out why Bakura's the way he is." Shaddi said.  
  
"What's there to learn?" Rebecca asked, crossing her arms.  
  
"Plenty, as long as Ryou's willing to go through with it."  
  
"Say what?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Ryou is Bakura's hikari. Therefore, it's his decision as to whether or not you learn about Bakura's past."  
  
"And you couldn't have asked him this BEFORE you yanked us out of our time?" Joey asked, exasperated. Shaddi chose to ignore him.  
  
"So, what will it be?" Ryou sighed a little as he looked at the shifting dunes.  
  
"Well, this was not how I intended on spending my Spring Break." He turned back to face the adults. "However, I would like to know what happened to Bakura in this time."  
  
"So be it, then." Shaddi said with a small hint of a smile.  
  
"You're joking." Rebecca said dully before Cye walked up behind her, slipped her helmet off, and smacked her upside the head in one moment. "Ow!"  
  
"Like it or not, this is Ryou's decision, not yours. You're staying."  
  
"All right, all right! I get it already!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Here. You'll need these while you're here." Baba said producing a stack of small boxes from out of nowhere and handing them to the group. Tea opened hers and pulled out a small capsule.  
  
"What are these?" she asked, holding it up to the light.  
  
"Capsule Boxes." Trunks explained. "They're quite handy for storage and transport."  
  
"You're joking! This tiny thing could barely hold a paper clip, much less anything useful!" Joey said, looking at one of his.  
  
"Oh ye of little brain." Baba muttered. "Trunks, I believe a demonstration is at hand." The teen nodded and pressed a small button on top of the Capsule before throwing it a few feet into the distance. A moment later, there was a small explosion, revealing a large tent with room for three or four people. Yami whistled appreciatively.  
  
"Too bad we didn't have those in times of combat." he said.  
  
"These Capsules will have everything you'll need while you're here." Shin said. "Shelter, money, food and water, clothes."  
  
"Wait, what's wrong with what we're wearing right now?" Joey asked. The others gave him a dry look.  
  
"Look, if you're going to be investigating Bakura's past, then you'll need to blend in, genius." Baba said. "Trust me, high school clothes aren't going to work."  
  
"You'll take on the guise of wandering nomads making their way through the city until you find out the truth." Shaddi said. Joey checked a card pasted to the inner lid of his box before pulling out a capsule and activating it. In a second, a billowing light brown garment landed in his arms. He held it up and made a face.  
  
"Um, I think you gave me one of the boxes meant for the girls, cause this is a dress."  
  
"No, that's your box. And that isn't a dress; it's a robe." Shaddi said.  
  
"Dude, it's a dress."  
  
"Robe."  
  
"Dress."  
  
"Robe."  
  
"Dre-ess." Joey said in a singsong voice.  
  
"ROBE!" Shaddi yelled. The others looked at him in a mix of shock and fright.  
  
"Okay, okay, it's a robe." Joey said meekly. Tristan activated one of his capsules and looked at a part of its contents critically.  
  
"Okay, I guess I can deal with the robes, but do we really have to wear these doofy turbans too?" Shaddi looked about ready to kill when Cye intervened.  
  
"Okay, so now that everyone's familiar with their gear, it's time to set some ground rules."  
  
'Saw that one coming.' Rebecca thought.  
  
"First off, you are here to study the past, not to party. That means no trying to get a girlfriend or boyfriend while you're here. Second, you will go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Last but not least, if I catch anyone going into a tent used by the opposite sex, heads will roll." Yugi glanced at Yami and blushed a little, squeezing his hand slightly.  
  
"And you'll know about this. how?" Joey asked.  
  
"We'll be keeping an eye on you, don't worry." Baba said, holding up a small crystal ball similar to the one she was sitting on.  
  
"What is this, Reality TV?" Gohan asked.  
  
"You'll live. And by the way," Baba reached into the sleeve of her witch's robe and pulled out a small green bean. "Ryou, this is for you. It took me a long time to get one of these, so don't drop it."  
  
"Um, thank you, but what is it?"  
  
"It's called a Senzu Bean. Eat it and see what it does." Ryou nervously popped the bean in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Within moments, the injuries he received vanished like magic.  
  
"What? How the?" he asked, as he looked at his now bruise-free arms.  
  
"Senzu Beans have the ability to restore energy to a person, thereby erasing the damage Bakura caused earlier."  
  
"Speaking of which, where is he, anyway? I'd like to give him some serious payback." Videl said, clenching her fist. Joey and Tristan nodded and cracked their knuckles.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. We've got him right here." Baba chanted something under her breath as another portal opened. A thick cord snaked out of it, which the fortuneteller wrapped securely around her wrist before giving it a quick tug. The other end of the rope was pulled out, with Bakura tied to it by the neck in a fashion similar to a dog collar and leash. The spirit crossed his arms and glared at the rest of the group with an unreadable expression. A few moments passed before Rebecca began to snicker. Tea covered her mouth in an attempt to stay quiet, but it didn't seem to help. Then Joey started to plain laugh out loud. Soon the rest of the group was laughing at Bakura's plight save for Ryou.  
  
"Bakura." he whispered, a look of concern marking his face.  
  
"We'll be keeping him with us while you do your investigation." Shin said. "And we'll make sure he doesn't return to the Millennium Ring unexpectedly."  
  
"Okay, so now what?" Trunks asked.  
  
"There is one last thing we have to clear up." Shaddi said, holding up his hand. He closed his eyes and began to chant something that lasted about twenty seconds or so. Once this was completed, a moment passed before the teens were all afflicted by a burning sensation in their throats.  
  
"Ow, ow, ow! What's going on here?" Joey cried, clutching his neck.  
  
"Be patient. The feeling will wear off shortly." Baba said. "Honestly, kids these days are so soft."  
  
"Yeah, well I feel like I just ate a jar full of hot peppers! What's this for, anyway?" Gohan asked.  
  
"You'll see." Shin said, smiling knowingly.  
  
"The side effects should wear off right about. now." Shaddi snapped his fingers. The teens slowly felt their throats return to normal.  
  
"Okay, what the heck was that?" Tea asked, gently massaging her throat. She blinked in surprise when she realized that despite the fact that she understood perfectly what she had just said, it wasn't Japanese.  
  
"What just happened?" Yugi asked, shocked at the alien yet familiar language coming from his throat as well.  
  
"You're speaking Arabic, you dolt." Bakura said, uttering his first words since he'd arrived. The others looked at him in surprise.  
  
"It's true. You'll need to speak the language if you want to find out what turned him," Baba tugged on Bakura's rope, "into such a bad egg." Yami glared at the other spirit, who simply looked away.  
  
"You'll use this skill when you're in the city and talking to any of the people there. Back at camp, you'll revert to Japanese again. It's a little complicated, but you'll get used to it." Shaddi explained.  
  
"Okay, after this, nothing is gonna surprise me any more." Gohan said, shaking his head. Videl patted him on the back sympathetically.  
  
"Well, now that you're all situated, we'll be off." Shin said.  
  
"Remember, we will be watching you." Cye warned. Rebecca rolled her eyes and earned a glare from the other angel.  
  
"Good luck." Shin said before Shaddi opened one last portal and the adults stepped inside, Bakura still in tow.  
  
"Okay, this is weird." Joey said.  
  
"Understatement of the year, Joey." Tristan added.  
  
"I'm sorry if you guys didn't want to deal with this, but I really want to know what happened here." Ryou said apologetically.  
  
"Hey, don't sweat it. So we're stuck on a field trip to Ancient Egypt, it doesn't mean we can't have some fun." Joey said right before a loud gurgling sound was heard. Gohan blushed.  
  
"Yeah um, anyone up for dinner?" Yugi laughed and checked his Capsule Box.  
  
"Uh oh. This doesn't look good."  
  
"What do you mean?" Tristan peered over Yugi's shoulder, a feat that wasn't too difficult. "Hey, there's no real food here! Only a few boxes of granola bars according to this card!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"I don't believe this."  
  
"Hold on." Yugi bit his lower lip as he eased the card up and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. "Figures." he said, handing it to Yami, who started to read it out loud.  
  
" 'Surprise! Since we doubt you'll want to eat granola bars for your entire stay here, this means you'll have an extra reason to go into the city! Don't worry, plenty of money's been provided, assuming you don't do anything too boneheaded. Take care, and keep your eyes open for clues concerning Bakura's past. Have fun!' " He folded the paper back up. "It's from Shaddi and the others."  
  
"Leave it to them to pull something like this." Rebecca muttered.  
  
"Well, guess we've got no choice. Let's get ready." Trunks opened another tent next to the first one, providing a set of dressing rooms. After everyone switched out of their street clothes and into their robes and hid their faces and hair with cloaks or turbans and Rebecca changed into human form, they gathered their wits and composure and started the hike toward the city.  
  
Ryou stayed behind for a moment, running a hand along the cord keeping the Millennium Ring around his neck before he tucked the artifact under his robe, as Yugi and Yami had done. Thankfully, the garments were loose enough to hide the small bulges the Items caused. 'Bakura. What caused you to turn so cold? What were you like here?' he thought.  
  
"Ryou! Come on, we're waiting for you!" Joey yelled.  
  
"Oh right, sorry! I'm coming!" Ryou waved and raced to catch up to the others.  
  
***  
  
After a few hours passed and the only thing the group found was a cart selling bread and fish for dinner, everyone decided to head back to camp and call it a day. Dusk was quickly turning to night as they settled around the oasis.  
  
"Well, this has definitely been an interesting day. I'm gonna go hit the sack. G'night, everybody!" Joey said as he yawned and walked toward one of the tents. Trunks rolled his eyes as he reached over and grabbed the blonde by the back of his collar.  
  
"Hold it. You're not going anywhere until one last detail's been smoothed out." he said, yanking him back toward the others.  
  
"Last detail?" Tea asked, blinking.  
  
"The first rule of survival in an unknown location. Always have someone on watch at all times. If we let our guard down here, we'll be sitting ducks for roving bandits." Trunks explained.  
  
"Bandits. Right." Rebecca said skeptically. "Somebody's been watching too many old movies..........................."  
  
"He has a point, Rebecca. If we all go to sleep now, we might not wake up tomorrow morning." Yami said calmly.  
  
The angel's eyes widened as she gulped. "You mean..........................."  
  
"Ghhxrck!" Tristan finished for her, drawing a finger across his throat. Rebecca gripped her throat, shutting up.  
  
"All right then. How do we set up who's on watch?" Videl asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"We'll all take shifts." Yugi said. "If we get roughly eight hours of sleep each night, we'll rotate every two hours and forty minutes or so in groups of three."  
  
"There's a slight problem. There's ten of us here, so who's the odd one out?" Ryou pointed out.  
  
"Whatever shift Yugi's in, I'll take as well, bringing that group's total up to four." Yami said. Tea grinned.  
  
"Oh, that's so cute!" she squealed, earning a strange look from Gohan.  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked.  
  
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet that they're--"  
  
"Okay, moving on." Trunks said quickly, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "Time to pick who's with who in what shift." Rebecca found her notepad and a pen in one of her Capsules. Yami took a sheet from it and tore it into nine squares, writing a number on each square and putting them all in Tristan's turban.  
  
"Everybody take a piece of paper. If you get a '1,' you're in the first shift, '2' is in the second shift, and '3' will get you in the third shift. No arguing, complaining, or trading, so choose carefully." Yami explained, holding the turban out. After everyone drew their slips, they opened them and read their assignments.  
  
"I've got the first shift........." Ryou said, looking at his paper. Trunks tapped him on the shoulder and showed him his paper, this one also bearing the number one.  
  
"Looks like we'll have plenty of time to discuss what happened now." he said, smirking in a way he definitely inherited from Vegeta.  
  
"Okay, new rule. No killing, maiming, or otherwise injuring anyone you're sharing the shift with." Tristan said, holding up his paper giving him the third and final shift.  
  
"Men........." Videl muttered, finding herself in the second shift. Gohan read over her shoulder and shrugged.  
  
"I'm in the third shift. Hopefully us being apart'll help keep the adults from meddling........."  
  
"Don't bet on it........." Rebecca rolled her eyes as she opened her paper, assigning her to the first shift.  
  
"I've got the second shift." Yugi said, looking up from his slip. Yami nodded to indicate he'd heard his small light.  
  
"I'm in the third one." Tea said, yawning quietly.  
  
"And that leaves me for the second shift." Joey added, wadding his paper up and throwing it over his shoulder, where it hit Trunks in the head. "Oops........."  
  
"All right, everyone knows what shift they have. Ryou, Trunks, Rebecca, have fun. Wake us when it's time for our shift." Yami said as he and the others went into their respective tents. Ryou gulped as he glanced at Trunks who was starting a campfire.  
  
"Don't worry, I don't want to kill you anymore." The lavender-haired boy said as he used a small blast of energy to set the branches he'd collected on fire. Rebecca sat by the fire's heat while Ryou splashed some of the oasis water on his face to keep him awake. Trunks stared up at the stars silently.  
  
Rebecca shivered. "Okay, we're in the middle of the desert. How can it be so frigging cold out?" she complained. Trunks reached over, picked up her Capsule Box, and threw it at her head. "Hey!"  
  
"Quit griping. In case you haven't noticed, there are extra blankets in one of your Capsules." He said, irritated.  
  
"Anyway, it always gets this cold out in the desert at night." Ryou pointed out. "My father learned that lesson the hard way."  
  
The brunette huffed and activated the Capsule, wrapping a thick woolen blanket around herself. Ryou did the same and laughed as he looked at the guide in his box. "Hey, look what I found!" he exclaimed as he opened another Capsule. Inside were two bags of marshmallows and a set of sticks. "Who's up for a pre-midnight snack?" For the first time since they got there, Trunks genuinely smiled and took one of the sticks, opening a bag and skewering a marshmallow on it. Ryou and Rebecca also began roasting their own marshmallows. After a few moments, Trunks pulled his from the fire and blew out the small flames that had formed on it, plucking the marshmallow off and popping it in his mouth. Ryou shifted uncomfortably before clearing his throat.  
  
"Um, Trunks? Can I ask you something?"  
  
Trunks swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, what is it?"  
  
"Well, stop me if I'm being too nosy, but........." He took a deep breath. "What exactly did Bakura do to your mother in your time?" Trunks set his stick down and sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked........." Ryou apologized.  
  
"No, you have the right to know after what I tried to do to you. It's kind of a long story, but what happened is this........."  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Peacenikky: Please don't kill me! I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've had a lot going on! Anyway, I know I've left y'all on a major cliffhanger, but hey, I'm the authoress! I'm allowed to be evil!  
  
Judi: Oh no, being with me's finally made her crack.........  
  
Rebeccca: No, she's just thrilled to get the chapter finished.  
  
Peacenikky: Anyway, we'll be working on juggling the upcoming new school year with fic writing, so bear with us. I can't believe I've been here for a year now.........  
  
Judi: Yep, uncork the champagne and let's celebrate......... I'm going to sleep.  
  
Peacenikky: *Groan* Peace, love, and marshmallow bunnies, everyone! Bye! 


End file.
